Bottled-beverage-vending machine



Apr l, 193)o H. F. DoTsoN BOTTLED BEVERAGE VNDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8.1927 4 Sheets-Sheer?I April 1, 1930. H. F. DoTsoN 1,752,479

BOTTLED BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINE Filed Spt. 8, 1927 4 Sheets-Shet 231a/vento@ `April l, 1930. H. F. DoTsoN BOTTLED BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINEFiled Sept. 8, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 April l, 1930.

H. F. DOTSON BOTTLED BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINE 4 Sheet s-Sheet 4 FiledSept. 8, 1927 Patented Apr. 1 1930 Immanuel. DoTsoN, or SAN ANTONIO,TEXAS IBOTTLED-BEVEBAGE-VEN-'DING MACHINE Application filed September 8,1927. Seriallo. 218,164.

for dispensing wet goods, such as a bottled beverage, whereby the drinkis kept cold and 5 is dispensed by depositing a coin of predeterminedvalue, and manipulating a plunger or` like part, the operating mechanismbeing automatically tripped and restored to normal condition at thecompletion of each vending operation.

The invention contemplates a sectional magazine for lthe bottlescontaining the beverage, the several sections discharging the bottles insuccessive order, and by gravitative action, the arrangement being suchas to obviate the necessity of providing a magazine of excessive length,while at the same time assuring a positive feed of the bottles asthe,machine is operated.

The invention furthermore provides a mechanism admitting of differentflavors and kinds of beverages being dispensed, since a particularoperatin mechanism may be selected to deliver a esired drink.

While the drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,it is to be understood that in adapting the means to meet specificneedsV and requirements the desi n may be varied and changes in theminor e- 30 tails of construction may be resorted to withv in thescope'of the invention as claimed, without departing from the spiritthereof.

For a full understanding of .the invention and the merits thereof,reference is to be had to the 4following' description and Vthe drawin shereto attached, in which,-

igure 1 is a front view of a bottled beverage vending machine embodyingthe invention. 40 Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional viewthereof showing more clearly the operating means.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the` operatingmechanism.

' Figure 4 is a' fragmentary sectional view on the line 4.-4 of Figure3, looking to the left as indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the plunger, its guide, a portion of thecoin way, the switch for controlling the circuitv to the motor, and

like reference characters.

the detent for holding the plunger when moved inward. I

Figure 6 is a side view of the plunger. Figure 7 is a detail view of asectional magazine, a portion of the obverse walls being broken away.

yCorresponding and like parts are referred to inthe following descrition and designated in the several views o the drawings by The operatingmechanism or parts are enclosed within .a suitable cabinet which may beof any appropriatedesign and constructed of any suitable material. It isobserved that a magazine will be provided for each flavor or kindofdrink 'to be dispensed, and that adispnsing mechanism will be associatedwith each of the magazines, so that any desired flavor or drink may beobtained by the patron. The operating mechanism includes an electricmotor and power transmitting means for each delivery mechanism, thelatter being coupled to the motor'by means of a peculiar mechanismbrought into operation after the predetermined coin has been depositedand the operating plunger or like part thrust inward. A coin-way andplunger are .provided for each delivery mechanism and, as these partsare alike, a detailed descriptionpf one will suffice for a4 clearunderstanding thereof. 80 The cabinet is designated generally by thenumeral 1 and its lower portion, which conl tains the dispensingmechanism, is extended forwardly and provided with bins 2 for.receivingthe empty bottles. The numeral 3 35 designates a bottle capremover and 4 a receptacle for receiving the detached bottle caps.

A display case 5 is mounted upon the up er portion of the front of t-hecabinet, an is adapted to receive bottles containing the wet 9 goods tobe dispensed. The numeral 6 designates coin-ways which are adapted toreceive a coin of predetermined value. A coin receptacle 7 is locatedwithin the lower portion of the cabinet to receive the coins as they 95are discharged from the coinway. An electric motor 8 is located withinthe cabinet and is geared to a countershaft 9 which is operated thereby.A tumbling shaft 10 is geared to the countershaft 9 and a sectionthereof is 1 mounted in an eccentric bearing 11 which, when rotated,moves the end section of the tumbling shaft towards and away from afriction wheel 12 which is fast to a shaft 13 to which an arm 14 isattached. A friction Wheel 15 fast to the end section of the tumblingshaft 10 cooperates with the friction wheel 12, and is caused to makecontact there` with or to move outward therefrom by rotating theeccentric bearing 11. The arm 14has o posite ends projecting a likedistance from tige shaft 13, and isprovided atopposite ends withlaterally projecting pins 16 upon which are mounted sleeves 17. curvedway 18 1s adapted tol receive the bottles to be delivered and is formedin a side with a slot 19 through which the inner ends of the pins 16 areadapted to travel. The curved way 18 is adapted to receive the bottlesat its lower end and connects with a guide 2O which receives the bottlesin t-he delivery thereof. A gate 21 is pivoted at its lower end to therear wall of the curved way 18 and normally extends across saidway todirect the bottles outwardly therefrom to the guide 20. The gate 21 ismoved rearward as the pins 16 pass thereby in the delivery of thebottles.

The bottle magazine comprises sections 22, 22, 22b and 22, which are incommunication at their lower ends. The bottoms of the sections areinclined to insure a feed of the bot-4 tles from one section to theother. A gate 23 in line with the partition separating adjacent sectionsis pivoted at its upper end and is free to swing at 'its lower end.These gates 23 are located at the lower ends of the partitionsor A wallsseparating adjacent sections. When the sections of the magazine containbottles the gates 23 are prevented from swinging forward1y,butwhen theforward section is aboutl to become exhausted the gate 23, relieved ofthe rearward pressure. swings forwardly and permits the bottles in thenext section tomove orwardly and enter the section of the magazine nextin advance thereof. 'In this manner the sections successively dischargeinto the next preceding section, and by reason of the inclined bottomsof the sections, 'all the bottles are delivered. A chamber 24* surroundsthe upper portion of the magazine and 1s adapted to receive ice wherebyto cool the bottles and their contents.

The plunger 24 operates through the front of the cabinet and is mountedin a guide 25 which projects through the front of the cabinet and issecured thereto. A vertical opening 26 is formed in the plunger 24 andis adapted to register with openings formed in the top and bottom of theguide25. The lower portion of the opening 26 is constricted, as shownmost clearly in Figure 6 to prevent a coin of predetermined value frompassing through the opening 26 while admitting 4of similar articles ofsmaller size to pass readily therethrough. A branch tube 27 is Voffsetat its .upper end from the plane of the plunger I 24 and connects at itslower end with the coinway 6. A slot 28 is formed in the plunger 24 andintersects with the opening 26 and registers with openings formed inopposite sides of the guide 25 and is adapted to receive the forward endof a fiat spring 29 which is semined value is received in the opening 264it is retained therein until the plunger 24 is pushed in, therebybringing the coin beneath the forward end of the spring 29, so that whenthe coin reaches a position opposite the branch -27 it is receivedtherein by the action of the spring 29, dislodging it from the opening26. The coin upon entering the-branch 27 passes therethrough and entersthe lower portion of the coinway 6, passing therefrom into thereceptacle 7. When the plunger 24 reaches the limit of its rearwardmovement, the circuit supplying current to the motor 8 is closed, andatthe same time the plunger is made secure by means of a detent o rlatch 28 engaging a stop 29 on the plunger. The detent or latch 28 ispivoted at its rer end and extends forwardly. A stop 30 holds the latch28 in normal position. A rod 31 connects the latch 28 with an extensionofthe eccentric bearing 11 and when the forward'end of the latch 28 iselevated-the eccentric bearing 11 is turned,

-tween two contacts 33 which are thereby electrically connected to closethe circuit. The elements 32 and 33 constitute parts of a circuitclosing switch. A spring 34 is connected at one end to the plunger andat its opposite end to the guide 25, and when the plunger is movedinward, the spring 34 is stretched and when the plunger is released fromthe latch 28 the spring 34 returns it to normal position. The forwardend of the latch 28 is curved upwardly and forwardly, and when theplunger 24 is moved rearwardly the stop 29 rides on the curved end ofthelatch and elevates'the same, thereby moving the rod 31 and turningthe eccentric bearing 11.

. The latch 28 is adapted to be released by an arm'v35 which is pivotedat its forward end and which is adapted to have its rear end engagedunder the latch 28 to lift the same and disengage it from the stop 29.An arm 36 is connected with the pivotal end of the arm' 35 and projectsinto the path of the sleeve 17 ,at the end of the ejector or' deliverer,14.- The arm 36 is located above the upper end ofthe way 18, hence thesleeve 17 engages the arm 36 and moves it and the arm 35 in the finalmovement of the ejector or deliverer, thereby releasing the plungerwhich is returned to normal position by means of thespring 34, with theresult that the circuitsupplying current to the motor 8 is broken andthe delivery mechanism thrown out of action by 'movement of the wheel 15away from the wheel 12.

To operate the machine a coin of predetermined value, such as a nickel,is dropped.

into a selected coinway, depending upon the beverage to be obtained. Thecoin is received in theopening 26 of the plunger 24, and effects releaseof the plunger by disengaging a catch 37 therefrom, as indicated mostclearly in Figure 5 of the drawings. The plunger, being released, ispressed inward and closes the circuit to the motor, while at the sametime the latch 28 engages the stop 29 and holds the plunger in rearwardposition against the tension of the spring 34. As the plunger 24 reachesthe limit of its inward movement, the spring 29 dislodges the coin fromthe opening 26, said coin being received in the branch 27 and directedto the receptacle 7 by means of the lower portion of the coinway 6.Upward movement of the latch ,28 effects rotation of the eccentricbearing 11 and throws4 the friction wheel 15 into engagement with thefriction wheel 12, thereby coupling the motor to the dispensingmechanism. Rotation of the shaft 13 effects a corresponding movement ofthe ejector or deliverer 14, whereby the pin 16 at the lower rear end ofthe arm 14 is caused to sweep through the way 18 and deliver a bottle inposition to be removed, as indicated most clearly in Figure 2 of thedrawings. As soon as the pin 16, traveling through the way 18, clearslthe same it operates the arm 36 and the arm 35 connected' therewith.This elevates the latch 28 and disengages it from the plunger which isreturned to normal position by means of the spring34, thereby breakingthe circuit to the motor and edecting movement of the bearing 11,whereby the motor is dis-v connected from the delivery mechanism,whereby the parts are restored to normal position, to be again actuatedupon the deposition of a coin in one of the coin-ways.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: y

1. In a vending machine, a curved way slotted in its outer side, and anejector pivsite ends with delivery elements adapted to sweep through thecurved way' and engage and deliver the articles supplied to the way.

3. In a vending machine, the combination of a motor, a deliverymechanism, coupling means between the motor and delivery mechanism, anoperating member, a latch for holding the operating member' when movedinward, and means connecting the latch with said coupling means forshifting the latter to operative position and permitting the motor tooperate thedelivery mechanism.

4. In a vending machine, the combination of a motor, a plunger, adelivery mechanism, means coupling vthe motor to thedelivery mechanismand including a movable bearing, a latch adapted to engage the plungerand hold it when pressed inward, and connecting means between the latchand movable bearplunger and hold it when pressed in, delivery mechanism,coupling means for connecting the motor` to the delivery mechanism,connecting means between the said latch and Acoupling means, and a tripmechanism adapted to be operated by means of the delivery mechanism toeffect release of the plunger to admit of the parts returning to normalposition.

In testimony whereof I aiiix ny si nature.

HERBERT F. DOTSO nsl.

oted concentric with the way and having a laterally extending elementadapted to pass through the slotted side of the curved way to engage anarticle deposited in the way and travel from end to end of the way fordelivering 'the engaged article therefrom.

2. In a vending machine, a curved way adapted to receive articles'to bedispensed, and an arm pivoted intermediate its ends concentric with theWay and provided at oppo-

